concrete ring pavilion forms a cycling rest stop in Mount Luofu
Resting Loop with Views is a small pavilion project by HCCH Studio located on a stone platform within the mountainous landscape of Mount Luofu, China. Positioned between a highway and a parallel river, the site previously functioned as a buffer zone and informal parking area at a sharp roadway curve. The project redefines this residual space as a rest stop and viewing point for cyclists, providing facilities for bicycle parking and refreshments while establishing a new spatial relationship with the surrounding landscape.
The pavilion takes the form of a circular concrete ring elevated above a sunken plaza. This donut-shaped structure has an outer diameter of approximately 16 meters and is intersected by a series of vertical cuts that create oval openings oriented toward different views. These openings overlap spatially, framing perspectives of the river, surrounding hills, and sky. The design organizes two levels of circulation: a lower level that accommodates seating and café-related activities, and an upper level that functions as a continuous looped promenade offering elevated views across the site.
Resting Loop with Views sits on a stone platform within the landscape of Mount Luofu | image by ArchExist
HCCH Studio uses bamboo to cast the concrete ring’s exterior
Shanghai-based practice HCCH Studio positions three supporting concrete volumes within the sunken plaza beneath the ring. These house a small café, a public restroom, and a storage space. Openings in the volumes are aligned to create visual connections between interior and exterior spaces, reinforcing spatial continuity across the site. The volumes are finished with a dark, hammered surface that visually relates to the stone paving of the plaza and to sculptural seating elements, ‘Social Stone,’ by artist SU Chang.
Material treatment plays a key role in articulating the pavilion’s relationship to its natural context. The exterior surface of the concrete ring was cast in situ using bamboo-textured formwork, with raised bamboo sections approximately 7 centimeters in diameter. This textured finish references local vegetation and introduces a tactile quality to the exterior. In contrast, the interior surface of the ring is smooth and continuous, producing a more abstract spatial experience. The transition between these two finishes is emphasized along the edges of the oval openings, where irregular profiles accentuate the contrast between texture and smoothness.
the pavilion occupies a former buffer zone between a highway and a parallel river | image by ArchExist
Although initially conceived as a quiet intervention within the mountainous landscape, the pavilion has become a popular stop for cyclists and visitors. Its visibility from the roadway and its elevated views have transformed the former buffer zone into an active public space that accommodates movement, rest, and observation within the creekside environment.
previously used as informal parking, the site has been redefined as a rest stop for cyclists | image by ArchExist
the donut-shaped structure measures approximately 16 meters in outer diameter | image by ArchExist
the project introduces a viewing point that connects infrastructure with landscape | image by ArchExist
vertical cuts slice through the ring to create oval openings oriented toward key views | image by ArchExist
the openings frame perspectives of the river, surrounding hills, and sky | image by ArchExist
overlapping cutouts generate layered sightlines and spatial depth | image by ArchExist